99 red balloons
by Fate4Destiny
Summary: Cold war fic. Sing fic of 99 red balloons by Nena. Contains most countries and some pairings if you squint. Everyone is scared, and who will they turn to?


**99 red balloons **

**Lyrics from: 99 red balloons by Nena (English translation)**

**Time frame: the cold war**

**A/N: tried to show each country and both Russian/ American side of things. And I think I made the fear too dramatic.. *sigh* please read and review~ **

**A/N: I also switched from the countries's name to human names to back again.**

_You and I in a little toy shop_

"Arthur, why are we here?"

Francis's voice was weak as he observed the English nation. For centuries, Arthur was the one who ruled the world, and now not being able to kept him on edge. He was used to making the opinions on life and death for continents themselves, now, he had to leave that to one of his children who had fought with him simply to escape his influence.

_Buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got_

"Let's do something fun, just this once, Francis."

Francis was quiet as he watched Arthur buy a pack of balloons. He decided on red, a colour special to the two of them. A colour which appeared on the flags of their family.

_Set them free at the break of dawn_

Francis's bare feet were cold in the wet grass as he waited for the sun to shine. Surely this would make a few children happy in these darkened times, wouldn't it?

He waited for the sun to be high up before releasing his hopes. He kept one in his pocket for Matthew, and let the first one go.

_Til one by one, they were gone_

Arthur let their ribbons slip from his hand as they rose up. They dotted the sky with childish colours, but Arthur found it look like bleeding wounds in the sky. He kept this quiet and watched Francis look up, that same smile when the Frenchman had found something beautiful was worn. He felt Francis put his arms around his shoulders, and for the first time during this entire era, he felt safe.

"Merci..."

Arthur didn't respond but took Francis's hand. When the last balloon was carried away by the world's soft whispers of wind, they went inside.

_Back at base bugs in the software_

Matthew looked at the photo of his family as his eyes flickered off the screen. He wished that if his brother would go through with this, he would get to see his family one last time. How could he not be able to do a thing?

_Flash the message, something's out there_

Matthew glanced back at the radar screen then froze. He felt his heart beat slow, his blood rush through his veins, and his mouth become dry. With shaking fingers he sent a message out to America. 99 targets in the sky.

_Floating in the summer sky_

Feliciano sat at the edge of the water, Ludwig beside him. They were alone, Kiku was with Wang and the other Asian nations.

Feliciano splashed in the water, but it wasn't excitable. He looked at his stern friend who now seemed simply sad.

"Luddy, I- I'm scared. Not like when I retreat, but really scared. Because I can't wave a white flag and escape this."

Ludwig felt tears drip down his cheeks as he nodded in agreement. He moved aside and Feliciano sat down next to him. The German nation put his arm around his Italian ally as they tried not to cry. They tried to be strong, it was just a waiting game. Even if they cried, it would do nothing. They could do nothing but wait and hope.

_99 red balloons go by_

Vash sat down on the front step of his property. He didn't bother having a gun with him. Lily was at his side, sobbing. He didn't know how to soothe her, he no longer could protect her. That was his one and only job which he valued in his heart. How could he not do it?

When he looked upwards at the red dotted sky he lightly shook Lily. Lily looked up and didn't speak. For a few moments her eyes cleared of tears, and in those few moments, Vash wished with all his heart those tears wouldn't return.

_99 red balloons_

Antonio looked at Gilbert when he saw the red balloons drift across the Spaniard's border.

"Who put those there? It's like someone shot the sky and it's bleeding."

Antonio merely gave a small smile, the only thing he knew how to do without ever failing. He then tilted his head.

"Red for love. I don't think we're alone in this."

"Doesn't matter how many nations are like us. There's nothing we can do."

Antonio shook his head at the truth then felt the Prussian pick him up and hug him. Antonio hugged back, no longer caring if the Prussian's nails left marks in his back.

_Floating in the summer sky_

Wang slowly mused over Kiku's short hair as he frowned. Kiku didn't move, silently sitting in the temple. Next to him was Taiwan, who was nervously wringing her hands, Korea didn't speak and wasn't moving. Hong Kong, with shaking hands, prayed in Mandarin, and tried desperately to remember the proper Chinese customs from his time with Arthur.

Kiku felt Wang's hands slowly lower until he was suddenly pulled close. Like when he was a child, Wang attempted to comfort the island nation. This time Kiku didn't try to break away and be independent. He merely tried to comfort Wang back. There was nobody else to do so.

_Panic bells it's red alert_

Red lights flashed and Ivan didn't say a word. He was prepared. Lights and sounds couldn't make the man change his decision. A simple warning shouldn't change what was to come. Seeing people shudder in fear on the streets, seeing them pray that it wouldn't happen. Ivan took one glance at it all before deciding that if every nation in the world was like that, perhaps he should take that into account. And as any great leader should, he did.

And he then put the thick metal key in with another, turned it, and rested a gloved hand on the button it revealed.

_There's something here from somewhere else_

Roderich, for the first time in his life, couldn't play. He sat at his piano, knowing if he was to die, he wanted it with his beloved instrument. He saw Elizaveta run inside and he looked up at her.

"I brought someone over. Is that okay?"

Roderich nodded, and watched someone step inside. Their strawberry blond hair and small fang made Roderich lose his calm composure.

"It's been a while, Romania."

The Romanian nodded and with a sad smile, sat beside the grand instrument. And as if the wars years ago didn't happen, as if he and Elizaveta never fought, he staid with them while they waited. Did it matter anymore where he was when it was just a waiting game?

_The war machine springs to life_

Lithuania shook as he pressed the keys on the weapon to start it. He felt Estonia pat his shoulder before Latvia gave them a nod. Together they went to tell Russia, leaning on each other and sharing their strength. It was like this they survived under his rule, and it was like this they would tell him it was ready. And they all silently knew that's how they would go out. Together.

_Opens up one eager eye_

_Focusing it on the sky as 99 red balloons go by_

Greece slowly opened an eye from a nap while he laid on his mother's ruins. He felt saw Turkey nearby and the sight of the mask almost made him jump. But something else caught his eye.

As he watched the red dots pass by in the sky, looking like they'd travel to Mount Olympus and back, he was distracted enough to let Turkey stay.

As he went back to sleep, it was a peaceful scene that played out in his mind as a cat slept on his chest.

_99 Decision Street_

_99 ministers meet_

"There's nothing we can do."

"Ja! It's there business."

"I can't let my country get blown up because of these idiots!"

Clashes from all sides of the table erupted and Ukraine glanced around. She didn't know what to do. So she sat, watching everybody argue in vain as if it could change anything. It couldn't.

_To worry, worry, super flurry_

As Alfred stared at the button a sudden thought emerged. He could not press it. He just simply, didn't have to. No matter what Ivan did, what his military general said, he simply could avoid it all. And yet his finger rested on that cold button. As cold as the hearts beating in fear across the world.

_Call the troops out in a hurry_

'Seriously, what was the point of troops? They would like, get blown up by the bomb-things.' That was what was running through Poland's mind as he saw the American troops. He brushed his pony's coat with much simpler thoughts though. 'If I die, I die. If not, the pony needs to be brushed.'

_This is what we've waited for_

"Is this what you want, you bloody git?! Going to have us all killed for what? It's called sacrifice and if you're a country, learn it!"

A dull tone came from the phone as Arthur had hung up on Alfred.

_This is it boys, this is war_

Alfred had once fought with Arthur to win independence. This seemed harder for one though. It wasn't just his people but the entire world which rested on his shoulder's, and someone else's.

_The president is on the line_

Two people somehow got to say the last words of importance. How could they?

America slowly sat down, nothing more to do then press the button that would end them. He waited for somebody else to say it. To take in the thoughts of not only themselves, but the thoughts of their nation in the world. That was Alfred's job, and now it was that person's job. One word would end them all.

_As 99 red balloons go by_

"You'd think he'd learn from our fights that it ends in mutual destruction."

Francis said nothing and slowly tilted his old pirate hat over his eyes. He reached out and took the hand of Arthur who held Sealand in his lap. Seychelles laid next to her papa and all four of them watched the red balloons.

"Daddy, why can't I go home?"

"Shush, Peter. You go count the balloons with Seychelles."

The two children did so with glee, making an uncontrollable urge to protect their innocence rise in both men. They had promised not to tell them. If they were to all die, their children could enjoy life until then. And thus when the Frenchman cried, it wasn't just his children but Arthur who wiped away the tears. How could be strong for any longer?

_99 knights of the air_

Like brave soldiers the balloons fluttered across the nations. Yes, casualties had happened. Gilbird had decided to adopt one and so had Pierre, but they travelled on.

_Ride super high tech jet fighters_

America remembered when he made his first war plane. He was so excited, he had run to tell almost the entire world- perhaps not the best to keep a secret. He had used to be proud. Now he wasn't. He was disgusted.

_Everyone's a super hero_

Alfred looked about the people around him. If they could all live and continue doing so though he was completely scared, did that make them brave? Did that make them heroes. He raised a hand in a small salute, looking down at his people though none noticed him. Only if. Only if a hero was the only thing needed to save the day.

_Everyone's a Captain Kirk_

"Anglettere, what are you doing?"

"Looking for something."

"Quoi?"

Francis had finished tucking in a sleeping Seychelles and Peter, and wondered what England was doing. He looked past books and books, brushing away what France would call his imaginary friends from them. Once he found the one he wanted, he sat down with it and read it.

"May as well escape this world while we can."

France slowly picked up the first book he saw, an old black leather-bound one, and followed the act. His nerves were frayed as they were.

"Angleterre, if this does happen, it isn't that we'll be hit as much as our children will-"

"I know, you stupid git. I know."

That was the first time they agreed in as long as Francis could remember.

_With orders to identify_

"Count the balloons and calm down."

_To clarify, and classify_

"Why isn't there a hundred? I counted them all."

Sweden glanced at Finland before shrugging.

"Maybe one was forgotten behind. So they had someone to come home to."

Finland's hug knocked the air from the other Nordic, caught completely by surprise.

_Scramble in the summer sky_

_99 red balloons go by_

"They look like tomatoes, don't they, Lovi?"

"They look stupid, bastardo. You and the potato bastard #2 all do."

Spain said nothing and nodded, wishing this once, Lovino would accept him. He said nothing and curled up in Prussia's arms then. So be it, at least he had a friend. It was during his siesta that Lovino crawled over and hugged the Spaniard's back, breathing in the spices and the heat acting like a blanket. Prussia said nothing as he pulled his jacket over all of them.

_99 dreams I have had_

Around the world, each nation had another in their arms, wishing for it to all stop.

_In every one a red balloon_

Each one saw the balloons pass by.

_It's all over and I'm standing pretty_

One balloon drifted down, it's string caught on a broken piece of a tree. It fluttered in the wind, trying to escape. It couldn't. So it staid there, watching over the area around it.

_In this dust that was a city_

Ivan looked around them empty streets, having decided to stop it all. America would be the world's superpower now. It wasn't worth the fight the American's wanted to put up. Why did they have to scare everyone so?

Ivan brushed dirt off his small patch of sunflowers. They had all been stepped on and now were broken. The yellow was dirty and unappealing, their warmth as icy as his barren lands. This was what it all added up to. A broken trust among people and broken homes.

_If I could find a souvenir_

Ivan left the sunflowers be, wishing he'd have one more to add some type of colour. As he glanced around, his eyes caught something a beautiful red.

_Just to prove the world was here_

He walked towards it and took it in a gloved hand, mesmerized by the colour. The colour of love and blood, wounds and heart. So why did such things make it seem filled with such a childish joy?

Ivan smiled, staring at it like he did with his sunflowers. A small symbol that he would always find some joy lost in the cold winds of Russia.

_And here is a red balloon_

Matthew looked slightly lost as he held the balloon France had given him. He didn't know why or what it meant, but he liked it. Much better than a rose, like a sign he was still Francis's small colony no matter how many centuries ago they had parted.

He hung the balloon up, found his hiding polar bear, and letting all his worries flee, he celebrated by himself. Silently, alone, but it felt as if the weight of the world had lifted itself.

_I think of you, and let it go_

If only you could have seen the way their young eyes had showed fear but caught so easily by the bright red. If only the comfort showed in their hugs could be proven as they tried to comfort the young nation. It seemed like the safest place in the world, in their arms, but it wasn't. If only they could all run back home, to past civilizations and empires, but they were gone. It was their turn to hold their younger ones.

As the string from the balloon left the hand which held it, the eyes watched the balloon, trying to think of life's greatest meaning. When the ballon had gone into the mist of a new day, they turned away and with one final glance, walked away. One more chapter for the history textbooks. One more event of worries and fear. Why did history have to be so harsh in its lessons.


End file.
